When You View the People Who Are Hurting You As “Zero” They Cannot Harm You
Dovid knew how to value himself, and he was infuriated at Golyas for daring to insult the army of Hashem. Look how he respected Klal Yisroel, the nation of Hashem! We should learn from him. And look how he viewed Golyas like an animal. The Meforshim say that Dovid mentioned his having killed lions and bears, and he considered Golyas just as good as these animals.
This is so important. When you define yourself properly, and also define the people who are hurting you, when you look at them as “zero,” they cannot harm you. And you realize that you don’t need honor or money from them. All those scary situations in your life need to be defined.
If you work on Bitachon, then you’ll be like Moshe who turned the “powerful” Golden Calf into dust, and like Dovid who saw Golyas as an animal and not a human. And indeed, a person who has no respect and is disrespectful to Klal Yisroel, shows that greatness and nobility have no value to him. This proves him to be a zero. When you criticize others, you are pointing out exactly your own problems (Chazal).
You May Be Overestimating the World, And Underestimating Yourself
We may need a lifetime to build ourselves up, and play down our Nisyonos and all those “scary” people. Probably a main reason why people don’t progress, especially in Zikkui HaRabbim, is because they overestimate the world, and underestimate themselves.
Although R’ Yaakov Pasternak Zatzal was a Novardoker, he still told his children to stand up straight. The Alter of Slabodka once bought special spectacles for a student who wasn’t standing straight. They had no temples, and you could only wear them if you straightened your back to balance them on your nose.
Of course, the main thing is to feel strong inside. But as Mesilat Yesharim (chapter 7) says, your outward actions affect your inner feelings. With plenty of Tefila and seeking, you can merit everything.
